50 BEST Christmas Appetizers and Cocktails | Marinated Olives
These Italian marinated olives with lemon zest, garlic, and herbs, are such a fast and easy appetizer, you'll always be ready to party.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword marinated olives
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 5 minutesminutes
Marinating Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 40 minutesminutes
Servings 20
Calories 97kcal
Ingredients
15.3 ounce jar Castelvetrano olives
15.3 ounce jar kalamata olives
1cupextra virgin olive oil
5clovesgarlic, peeled and smashed
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4sprigsfresh thyme
6-8 black peppercorns
½teaspoonred chile flakes
¼teaspoonkosher salt
zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
Drain the olives in a colander and rinse in cool water. Set aside to drain.
In a medium skillet, add the oil, smashed garlic cloves, half of the fresh herbs (reserve the rest for packing with the olives), lemon zest, red chile flakes, and black peppercorns. Bring to medium heat and cook for 3-4 minutes, swirling the herbs in the oil, until the garlic is fragrant and the herbs sizzle. Remove from the heat, season with the kosher salt, and set aside.
In a quart jar with a fitted lid, layer the olives with the garlic, and cooked and reserved fresh herbs. Pour the flavored oil over the olives. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. The olives taste better the longer they sit in the flavored oil, up to 3 days before serving.
Serve on slices of toasted crostini with whipped ricotta cheese and drizzle with the marinated juice or honey and minced fresh herbs.